Ecology and Evolution:
The scientific method
From what direction does the sun rise?
Are you sure?
Why?
HOW DO YOU APPROACH
THE STUDY OF LIFE?
• the SCIENTIFIC METHOD: a systematic and
logical approach to discovering how things in the
natural world work
• It aims for measurable results through testing
and analysis
• provides knowledge based on demonstrable and
reproducible data
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
1. Figure out what (area of biology because,
well, this is a bio course) fascinates you.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
2) Make observations about what fascinates you (can also do a
literature search on your topic of interest).
3) From your observations, what problem/issue do you want to learn
more about? (This becomes your research question)
4) Make a hypothesis (a prediction of an answer) from your research
question based on your observations.
5) Design a method (test/experiment) to collect data to answer your
research question
6) Analyze your data (yes, this means doing statistics)
7) Determine if your data supports your hypothesis and adjust your
methods accordingly.
THE SCIENTIFIC METHOD
WHAT IS DATA?
DATA: recorded observations or items of information
that fall into two categories:
1) Qualitative data are descriptions
2) Quantitative data are recorded
measurements often organized into tables or
graphs
Experiments are typically designed to accumulate #2 over #1.
HOW DO YOU DESIGN AN EXPERIMENT?
1) An experiment should include an experimental group and
a control group. The control group is what the experimental
group is compared
against.
2) An experiment
should include an
independent
variable (which Remember what your hypothesis is!
does not change and is something you, the researcher,
manipulates) and a dependent variable (which does change
and is measurable).
EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT 1
You come back from vacation realize that your plants,
which have been under the care of your sibling, look
awful.
You also notice that your recycling bin contains a lot
of suspiciously empty Coke cans.
Being the nerd you are, you don’t want to just accuse
dear sister with words. Here’s your plan:
EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT 1
• You grow 40 plants, 4 in each pot for a total of
10 pots.
– 20 of these plants are watered daily with 5ml of a
solution of diluted Coke.
– The remaining 20 are watered daily with 5ml of
pure water.
• After 3 months, you count the amount of
healthy leaves in each plant
• Which one is your control group?
• Which one is your experimental group?
• What is your independent variable?
• What is your dependent variable?
• What factors must be constant between
both groups?
• What is the sample size of your control
group?
DESIGNING AN EXPERIMENT (CONTINUED)
3) Sample
Independent entity measured experimentally. Sample size
from various groups do not have to be equal.
4) Biological replicates (sample size = n)
Different samples from different independent individuals
from the same testing group, in the same conditions (n)
→ not from the same individual examined multiple
times
5) Comparable data for analysis
Is there a significant difference (statistically) between your
control and experimental groups?
EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT 2: Investigating
Coat Colouration In Mouse Populations
(Same species of mouse, different coat colours)
EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT 2: Investigating
Coat Colouration In Mouse Populations
• Color patterns of animals vary widely in nature,
sometimes even between members of the same
species
• Two populations of mice belonging to the same
species (Peromyscus polionotus) but with
different coat colour patterns are found in
different environments
• The beach mouse lives on white sand dunes with
sparse vegetation; the inland mouse lives on
darker soil
EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT 2: Investigating
Coat Colouration In Mouse Populations
• The two types of mice match the coloration of
their habitats
• Natural predators of these mice are all visual
hunters
• Francis Bertody Sumner hypothesized that the
color patterns had evolved as adaptations to
protect the mice from predators
• Hopi Hoekstra and a group of students tested
this hypothesis
EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT 2: Investigating
Coat Colouration In Mouse Populations
• What is the research question?
• What is the hypothesis?
EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT 2: Investigating
Coat Colouration In Mouse Populations
• The researchers predicted that mice that did
not match their habitat would be preyed on
more heavily than mice that did match the
surroundings
• They built models of mice, painted them to
match one of the surroundings, and placed
equal numbers of each type of model in each
habitat
• They then recorded signs of predation
EXAMPLE EXPERIMENT 2: Investigating
Coat Colouration In Mouse Populations
• Which one is your control group?
• Which one is your experimental group?
• What is your independent variable?
• What is your dependent variable?
• What factors must be kept constant
between groups?
EXPERIMENTAL VARIABLES &
CONTROLS
• Ideally, only the variable of interest (coat
colouration of the mice) differs between two
groups
– Without controls, researchers would not be able
to rule out other factors as possibly explaining the
results
RESULTS: DATA ANALYSIS
• When possible, tabulate observations and
measurements (in tables & charts) for ease of
comparing control group and experimental group
• Complete all necessary mathematical
calculations
• use the appropriate statistical tests when
comparing control and experimental group data
sets
INTERPRETING YOUR RESULTS
• Do your results/data support your hypothesis?
Why or why not?
• What are ways you can improve your data?
• What would you do differently if you were to
repeat the experiment?
The scientific
method is a
dynamic and
flexible process.
Be ready to
constantly adapt
your hypotheses
and experiment
design.
And finally,
a good experimental design should be replicable.
Someone else should be able to repeat your experiment
AND obtain the same results.
It’s important to record
everything you do in an
experiment. You can write
the experiment as a research
paper and then submit it
for publication.